ELVIS '68 Comeback Special Deluxe Edition DVD

Three-disc set featuring all the material shot for Elvis Presley's 1968 television special, including the two complete jam session concerts and the two complete solo concerts, which have never been released in their entirety. All takes of the material shot for the original broadcast's two big production numbers and for the show's opening and closing segments. Includes the original broadcast version of the special. Newly remastered sound and picture. Item #: EPAM0003

Details

When in June 1968 Elvis Presley made a television special to be aired in December of the same year, he accomplished two things. He saved his career, and he made the best music of his life. Wearing a black leather suit as if he were born in it-Elvis sang his old songs, but they did not sound old. He invested them with so much emotion - emotions his original recordings of, say, "Blue Suede Shoes," "Tryin' to Get to You," "One Night," "Blue Christmas," or "Can't Help Falling in Love" did not contain - that each became a thing in itself. Suddenly these were less songs than events - where anything could happen, where everything did.

The 3 discs that make up this Deluxe Edition are a treasure chest of that moment: the special itself, as it aired on December 3, 1968; the two complete "Sit Down" shows - the rough, improvised, altogether explosive attacks on the likes of "One Night," "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," and "Blue Christmas," with the audience so close Elvis could touch the people in it, and did; the two "Arena Shows," Elvis appearing on his own, again before audiences, with a big band and chorus off stage; and three-and-a-half hours of BONUS MATERIAL, alternate stagings of the skits and dramatized musical numbers from the show - some of them a lot hotter than anything that made it to the screen.

3-DVD set, over 7 hours of material

Includes over 3 1/2 hours of PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN material

Original 1968 broadcast version of the special

Outtakes, false starts and alternate stagings of production numbers

If I Can Dream – Special music video combining white-suit finale w/ never-before-released black-leather performance footage

Disc 1 (running time: 2:40:49)The original Elvis television special as it first aired on NBC on December 3, 1968Both of the black leather sit-down shows – Elvis, clad in black leather, performing jam sessions with original band-mates Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana,and friends

Disc 2 (running time: 1:48:32)Both of the black leather stand-up shows – Elvis, clad in black leather, performing solo on stageTrouble/Guitar Man opening of the specialGospel production numberGuitar Man production numberIf I Can Dream show closerElvis scene shot for the closing credits roll without the credits rollThe complete taping session for Elvis's on-camera "huh-huh-huh" promotional tag for the television specialThe exciting new If I Can Dream music video created for this DVD set combining white-suit finale w/ black-leather performance footage

Disc 3 (running time: 2:51:27)All components/takes shot for the gospel production number and the Guitar Man production number.